


Kora

by redchemist



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Brief appearance by Harry, Christen with a Puppy, F/F, I mean what more do you need?, Puppy Love, Two-Shot, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-09 14:50:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11671290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redchemist/pseuds/redchemist
Summary: “Kora, stop it.”  Christen couldn’t keep the frustration from her voice as she picked up the spray bottle.  It took 4 squirts to the face to get the black and white border collie puppy to stop attacking her flip-flops.  Their sweet little girl had turned into an untrainable terror.  Puppy training was not going well.  That was an understatment.





	1. Adopting Kora

Christen had to plead with her girlfriend for the entire offseason to adopt a dog. She loves Morena and Khalessi, but they were in L.A. with her parents. Christen wanted a puppy with her and Alyssa in Chicago during the season. Alyssa made some strong points against it. They travelled a lot both with the Chicago Red Stars and the National Team. Coupled with practice and promotional events for both the Red Stars and their personal sponsors, they had little free time. Puppies took up an enormous amount of time and patience mixed with some stubbornness. So, Christen pleaded and pulled every stop out. Puppy dog eyes, a quivering lip, and snuffles whenever Alyssa said no. Day-by-day she chipped away at Alyssa’s stubbornness. And like water flowing over a rock, she wore her down. The goalkeeper could not resist Christen for months. Days, maybe weeks, but not months.

“Alyssa, baby please…this tournament could be crap and the friendlies are gonna be useless. A puppy could turn things around for us…someone would be excited to see us when we come home. Someone to think about when we are sitting on the bench in misery. Please.” Christen begged, looking up at Alyssa from her place on her girlfriend’s chest. They were back in Chicago, arranging their condo before SheBelieves and the preseason friendlies.

“Ok.” Alyssa sighed and carded her hand through Christen’s dark curls.

“Really?! You aren’t kidding?” Christen snapped her head up to look at her. Hope shining in her eyes.

“Nope. You win. We can get a puppy. Once we are past the tourney and the friendlies. I want us to be settled in Chicago before we bring them home.” Alyssa barely finished when Christen squealed. She leaned up and kissed her girlfriend passionately. They were going to get a puppy! She left her place from Alyssa’s chest and got her laptop. All night she was looking at the available shelter dogs in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. The puppy had to be the perfect fit. She would know it when they found it.

 

Julie found out about the puppy at camp for SheBelieves. Christen needed someone to help her find the perfect dog bed. Alyssa was still grumbling to Ashlyn and Jane about the four-day collar and leash saga. The forward just wanted to have everything ready when they brought their baby home. Alyssa didn’t understand all the fuss. Her family dogs got collars, toys, and treats from Wal-Mart. Their dog was going to be spoiled rotten by Christen. Christen turned to the blonde defender for help rather than risk Alyssa following through with her threat of ignoring her.

Julie was more than happy to help Christen with any and everything puppy related. Their spare room slowly accumulated dog beds, a carrier, 5 different types of treats, 4 large boxes of Milk Bones and a literal mountain of dog toys. Alyssa only quirked an eyebrow when Julie dropped by with two sleeves of tennis balls the day they all arrived in Chicago for training with the Red Stars. 

“What? You don’t want your dog to play fetch?” Julie asked innocently.

“Why can’t my dog play fetch with one of the 30 toys you two have already bought for it?” The dog we don’t even have yet?” The goalkeeper crossed her arms. She stared down the young blonde. Julie audibly swallowed.

“Because…tennis balls roll easily and are easily thrown and fit well into most puppy’s mouths…” Julie managed to get out while shrinking away from the taller woman.

“Nothing else until we have the dog Julie. Then you can spoil it rotten.” Alyssa stepped aside.

“Deal!” Julie instantly perked up and bounced past her friend to put the tennis balls in the spare room.

“When are you two going to get the puppy?” Julie asked when she returned from the room.

“Within the next few days. Chris is scoping out the two final shelters. Then we will go to the first one on her list and see if the right dog is there.”

“Oh yay!” The blonde clapped her hands excitedly. “You have to send me a picture as soon as you know!”

“I will.” Alyssa promised. “Now shoo. I have to finish dinner.”

“Ugh fine. You two are still adorable. Literal couple goals.” Julie called out as she left. Alyssa could only shake her head as she went back to her kitchen. Julie was crazy and hyper, but the blonde was also one of Christen’s closest friends. That is why she tolerated Julie feeding Christen’s dog craziness – it made her girlfriend happy.

 

Two days later, the couple was at the ASPCA branch in downtown Chicago. Christen had scoped the pace out and found several possible dogs that could fit their home. She had a list written up for the first ones to see.

They stopped at each cage with Ryan, the staffer who was showing them around. Christen approached the puppy first. If she eventually got a positive response, then and only then did Alyssa approached. Christen fell in love with each hound she saw. The goalkeeper was harder to please. So, the forward regretfully left each cage and made her way to the next one. With the eyes Christen was shooting her, Alyssa didn’t know how much more she could take. She had to be careful or they would end up going home with more than one dog.

The next cage on Christen’s list has a medium-sized black and white puppy huddled in the back. Christen sat on one side of the cage and didn’t rush the pup. Alyssa watched the two, curious if the puppy would respond.

“What do we know about this one hun?”

“She is 6 weeks old. A border collie mix. Tested well in socialization tests with other dogs and people. Abandoned at the shelter 3 weeks ago.” Christen never took her eyes from the puppy while she spoke.

“So, she should fit in well if we take her to practice or do play dates with Sofia and Ollie.” 

“Yup.” The forward smiled as the puppy uncurled and sniffed the air.

“Border collies are smart. She could be a handful.” Alyssa warned.

“Yes, but we can handle it. Look at how damn cute she is.” Christen cooed. The puppy had crawled closer. Her nose was going a million miles a minute. Alyssa and Ryan shared a chuckle. All of the dogs and puppies they had visited so far were deemed cute by the tan woman.

“I’ll give you this one Chris. She is warming up to you.” Alyssa watched the puppy check out Christen’s hand.

“Hi there.” And suddenly her girlfriend ceased to exist. All Christen saw was the adorable puppy. The puppy licked her hand. The forward held back a squeal. She tentatively reached up and gave the puppy a good ear scratch. The poor girl leaned into it, a whimper escaping her. The pitiful noise yanked on Christen’s heart strings. “You are a sweetheart aren’t you girl?” Christen didn’t stop loving on the puppy who seemed to have melted into her hand.

“She loves this one too. You going to get in there?” Ryan asked Alyssa.

“Yeah I better.” She didn’t want to spook the puppy now that she was letting Christen pet her. Step-by-step Alyssa moved into the cage. She sat catty-corner to her girlfriend. Alyssa didn’t want the poor thing to feel trapped. The puppy’s head swiveled from Christen’s hand to examine the new comer to her home.

The puppy shocked everyone when she turned completely around and went to investigate Alyssa. Alyssa offered a hand for her to sniff. The goalkeeper was rewarded with a long lick and a wagging tail. It took the goalkeeper a moment to snap out of shock and start loving on the puppy. Christen whipped out her phone to capture the moment. 

“Oh, you are such a sweet girl. Yes, you are.” Alyssa’s tough façade crumbled under the puppy love assault. The black and white fur ball couldn’t get close enough. The grin on Alyssa’s face lit up the small cage. Christen got the whole thing on video. The puppy had scrambled up into her lap and immediately borrowed into it. Christen ended the video, snapped a picture, and grinned.

“This girl is the one.”

“Yes. Yes, she is.” Alyssa responded. Dogs don’t typically warm up to her this fast. They had to take this girl home.

“Fantastic! Let me go get the paperwork.” Ryan clapped his hands and left the pair alone with the pup.

Christen crawled over and snuggled into Alyssa’s side. They had found a puppy. By the look on Alyssa’s face, the fur ball had already stolen her heart. All of that work, months of begging and nonstop puppy eyes paid off with this wonder pup. Thank the universe.

“We have a puppy.” Alyssa whispered while stroking the soft fur.

“Yeah we do.” Christen giggled out of pure happiness.

“We have to name her.”

“It will come. Let’s see what she is like outside of this place. Both Morena and Khalessi were super different once we got them home.”

“Fair point.” Alyssa conceded. “You are the dog expert in the family.”

“Yes I am.” Christen smirked. Seconds later, the two erupted into laughter. It startled the young puppy. Her head shot up and she started to shake.

“Oh, I am so sorry sweetheart. Shh, shhh, you are ok. We aren’t going to hurt you.” Alyssa and Christen both petted the puppy, doing their best to reassure her. They finally got her settled when the young man returned with a clipboard.

“Alright. I have a few forms for you both to sign. The standard adoption forms, agreement to not sell her, her vet records, and I think that is it. Then I will collect her adoption fee and you can take her home.” He handed Christen the clipboard and a pen.

She read over the forms then proceeded to sign them all. The clipboard was passed to Alyssa. It was a little awkward for her to sign them all without disturbing the puppy. But she managed to pull it off. Christen dug a check out of her purse and handed it back with the paperwork.

“Awesome. I’ll be back with a leash and a camera so we can take her official adoption photo!”

“Fantastic.” Both women grinned.

When he returned, Alyssa slipped the leash around the puppy’s neck and stood up. Ryan snapped a photo.

“If you don’t mind, can I take another one outside? They perk right up when they realize they are leaving here.”

“Of course! But only if you take a couple with my phone too.” Christen clapped.

“Deal.” Christen giggled and pulled out her phone to get a walk of their video out of the shelter.

Alyssa put their girl down. Christen took ahold of her free hand and gave it a squeeze. The volunteer went first. They followed after him. The puppy didn’t know what was going on. She looked at her cage, then at the pair of humans in front of her.

“Come on baby girl.” The forward called. They had stopped walking when Alyssa noticed the leash gorw taunt. The puppy took a few steps then stopped again.

“Let’s go home baby.” Alyssa patted her thigh. The fur ball walked a few steps then stopped again and cocked her head. The two women looked at each other.

“Come on sweetie. It is time to go home.” Both women called together. Those ears perked up and she walked to the end of the hall. She was starting to realize they were going somewhere.

Christen made sure to get the moment her attitude changed on camera. They had walked past all the desks in the front office and out the front door. The puppy got a good whiff of that fresh air and something changed. Her ears perked up, her head raised, and her tail started to wag. Alyssa and Christen couldn’t stop grinning.

“Home?” Alyssa asked the puppy.

She cocked her head and when they started to walk away, the puppy went beserk. She realized they were leaving that horrible place. She started to run in circles around the trio, barking with pure joy. Her joy bled into the two women. The change in the puppy was remarkable. Gone was timid, shaking, down trodden pup. Now she was happy. It was beautiful.

Alyssa walked her over to the grass so she could roll in it. Christen laughed as the puppy tried to decide if she wanted toe at the grass or to roll in it. Apparently, she thought why not both because she ended up on her back, trying to eat the grass above her head.

“Such a happy girl. We will make sure you go on long walks and roll in all the grass.” Christen promised. She and Alyssa already knew where the best parks were around their condo. Once they agreed to adopt a dog, Christen and Julie started scouting locations of dog parks and beaches.

The puppy was focused on the grass and the smells. She got up and went to investigate the few trees in the grass. Happiness radiated off of her. Christen had never seen Alyssa smile this long. The puppy was already changing her lives for the better.

It took them 30 minutes to get the puppy headed to the car. Her energy was finally starting to wane. When they finally got to the car, Alyssa had scooped up their girl. Christen handed her phone to Ryan. He took it with a smile. Alyssa shifted the puppy to her center arm to lay more comfortably. Christen wrapped an arm around her waist and put a hand on the puppy’s head. She wagged her tired tail.

“Everybody smile on three!” He snapped a few photos with his Canon. ON Christen’s phone he took a couple at different angles.

“Thanks! Could you hold off on posting those for just like 30 minutes? We want to have time to get home so fans can’t follow us.”

“Yes ma’am. Let us know when you have a name so we can add her to our success wall.”

“We will, don’t you worry.” Both women waved goodbye and got in the car.

Christen took the longer and smoother drive home. She didn’t want to wake the snoring puppy. Alyssa looked over at her girlfriend at a red light and smiled. For all her protesting, seeing Christen’s smile light up the room the moment they agreed to take her home was worth it.

“What?”

“Nothing sweetheart.” Alyssa reached out and took Christen’s hand in her own. Christen blushed slightly. They road home in a comfortable silence punctuated by puppy snores.

 

That night the puppy explored the house. Alyssa chose to curl up in her lounge chair with her latest mystery novel. Christen chose to follow the puppy around and document her adventures. Alyssa’s phone lit up with pictures. Each and every one made her smile. The forward was so in love. It made Alyssa fall even further in love with her girlfriend.

“Our baby crashed.” Christen padded into the living room. The puppy curled in her arms. In one smooth motion, Alyssa grabbed her phone and snapped a picture. Christen shook her head but smiled anyway. She curled on the couch with the puppy. “You say I am bad.”

“What? You are already adorable. Throw in the puppy glow and you are more beautiful. I want to have pictures of you to show you off.” Alyssa shrugged as she marked her page in her novel. “Want to watch the next West Wing episode?”

“Sure.” Christen was red from her girlfriend’s words.

Alyssa booted up Netflix and started the show. Then she moved to the couch. Christen cuddled into her side. The puppy woke enough to shift her head around to Alyssa’s knee. Both women kept a hand on her while she dozed.

“What do you think of Kora?” Christen asked while they watched C.J. Cregg dominate her press core as usual.

“From The Legend of Kora?”

“Yeah. She is smart, brave, a little naïve, cute, and inquisitive.”

“Everything our girl seems to be if her leap from our bed was any indication.” The video was instantly saved to her phone for future pick-me-up moments.  
“Exactly my thought.”

“Well, let’s try it.” Alyssa scratched the puppy’s ear. “Kora. Kora.” She cooed. The puppy’s head shot up to look at the voice. Her tail gave a faint wag.

“Are you our girl Kora?” The puppy swung her head around to look and her tail picked up speed. 

“Good girl Kora.” Alyssa praised. The puppy, Kora, wiggled in Christen’s lap. They showered her with love until she settled back down.

“Our baby has a name!” Christen was over the moon. Now she could start bragging about their girl to their friends. The forward whipped out her phone. Before Alyssa could comment, she had the group text to the National Team open and was shooting multiple pictures to them.

“Chris, honey, we are going to be up all night now. They are going to spam us.”

“So, turn your phone on silent.: Christen shot her a look over the top of her phone. Alyssa swallowed and cleared her throat.

“Yes dear. Should I assume you are sending them to the Red Stars as well?”

“Duh.”

“Alright.” Alyssa pulled out her own phone and uploaded the picture she took of Christen and Kora just a little while ago. It was captioned: The newest member of our family crashed hard after an exciting day. Welcome to the family Kora Naeher. The goalkeeper hit post before she could change her mind. Christen was too busy bragging on Kora to notice.

It only took fans a few moments to notice. Alyssa didn’t post very often, so when she did it was a big deal. Alyssa’s post blew up with likes and comments. Stephanie McCaffrey, the Red Star social media guru, saw the picture and popped onto the National Team group text.

**Ragamuffin: Ooh Chris are you gonna be a Naeher?!**

**JJ the Gr8t: What are you talking about Steph? Press is Press.**

**Harry 1: Yeah CP has to be CP or it doesn’t work.**

**Harry 2: Wait why would CP no longer be CP?**

**Ragamuffin: Go check on Ninja’s Instagram. I’m not wrong!”**

Christen, along with several other national teamers, saw the exchange. She immediately hopped over to Instagram to see what Steph was talking about. She let out a gasp and her head whipped up so fast she might have gotten whiplash.

“You didn’t!” 

“Didn’t want?” Alyssa played dumb.

“Don’t you dare. Kora Naeher? When did we decide that?”

“You convinced me to get her but I have already fallen in love. And Kora Naeher flows better off the tongue than Kora Press. Like Christen Naeher.”

“You…you and your sly words. We aren’t discussing name changes yet. But since you already told everyone, she can be Kora Naeher. Kora Press Naeher.”

“Fair.” Alyssa leaned over the snoring fur ball and sealed her promise with a kiss. Today was perfect and tomorrow was radiating with promise. The promise of her future with Christen and Kora.


	2. Puppy Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kora was settling into her new home. Christen was in love with having a puppy in the house again and using everything in spare bedroom to spoil her. Alyssa loved seeing Christen happy and had to admit that Kora was seeming to be a good fit for their family. The perfect bubble had to pop. And it popped with a bang.

The first few days at home with Kora were great. She was learning her way around the house and their habits. They wore her out with toys and chasing them around the apartment. She went for short walks, mainly with Christen so that she could learn how to walk on a leash. They made it to the little patch of grass in front of the condo, but no further. Kora whined when they refused to let her in their bed, but a warm water bottle tucked in a soccer sock in her bed put her right to sleep. Christen seemed to know all the tricks. Alyssa just soaked it all in. She got whatever Christen wanted at that moment and made sure to help wear the puppy out. Everything seemed to be going fine.

Then Kora found shoes. Christen’s favorite sandals to be exact. The couple had gone out to catch an early movie. They had the kitchen blocked off with a puppy gate. She had water, a mountain of toys, a bed, and Christen even gave her a bone before they left. Both women thought everything would be fine. They needed to see how she did on her own and it was only a movie. They would be gone a couple hours max. Alyssa figured she would sleep most of the time. Oh, how she was wrong.

When they returned home, Christen spotted a piece of what looked like red leather down on the floor. She bent down to examine it. When she realized what it was, she let out a shriek.  
“She didn’t!” Without an explanation to a confused Alyssa, Christen stormed down the entryway of their condo to the living room. Laying in the middle of the carpet, surrounded by pieces of red leather, was Kora. When she saw Christen, her tail started to wag and she perked up.

“She…she destroyed my favorite shoes!” Christen shrieked, staring at the carnage. She had gotten the sandals 3 years ago in L.A. when home for a visit. They seemed to conform to her foot and give her just the right amount of support. She wore them everywhere she could. The only reason she didn’t wear them on their movie date was because it was drizzling and she didn’t want wet feet.  
“She…oh yeah she totally destroyed them.” Alyssa looked over Christen’s shoulder at the damage. One sandal was completely torn to shreds. The other was about half gone. There was no repairing them. 

“Bad dog!” Christen leveled a firm gaze at the puppy and out came the finger. “Bad dog!” 

Kora cowered from Christen and started to back away. She knew she was in trouble but she didn’t know why.

“Chris… remember what you told me about discipline.” Alyssa cautiously spoke up. It took Christen a moment to process what she said through her anger.

“Kora. Come here.” Christen kept her voice firm, but even with barely any trace of anger in. The puppy very slowly approached Christen. Kora was still shaking when she got to Christen’s feet. The forward reached down and guided the puppy’s head to the ruined shoe. She made her get up close and personal with it. “Bad dog.” Christen repeated twice then let her go. “Bed.” Kora slouched away until she was curled into a small ball in her bed next to the couch. Alyssa didn’t say much but started picking up the pieces. 

Christen stepped around her, grateful, and went to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of wine to relax. Mentally, she was berating herself. She should have known better than to trust the puppy not to chew things up. At her age, she was probably teething. Her and Alyssa would have to be careful from now on not to leave too much out for her to chew on.

Alyssa threw all the pieces of the shoes in trashcan after sneaking the label into her front pocket. With a little luck, she would be able to find a new pair of them to surprise Christen with once they had Kora trained. They wouldn’t be the same, but it was still worth a shot. She saw her girlfriend take a long drink of her wine. The goalkeeper approached her and wrapped around her.

“Hey. They were good shoes, but they are still just shoes. We will teach her. You’re the dog whisperer.”

“Right. Then why didn’t I make sure my shoes were put up before we left.”  
“Because we hadn’t seen her chew on anything beautiful. Now we know. We keep up the firm discipline. And she will eventually get it through her head. Collies are smart, remember?”

“Yeah I know. I loved those shoes though.” Christen grumbled, leaning back into Alyssa’s warm embrace.

“I know you did. So, refill your wineglass and soak in a bath. I will walk the heathen dog so she can pee.”

“You’re the best babe.” Christen pressed a kiss to the goalkeeper’s cheek. She refilled her nearly empty glass while Alyssa fetched Kora’s leash and collar. Christen approached Kora’s bed. The puppy looked up at her with those big eyes. “All clear Kora.” Christen smiled. The dog sensed the change in Christen’s mood and her ears perked up. She got out of her bed and wagged her tail. Christen gave her a quick pet then let her go to Alyssa. The pair was out the door as Christen made her way to the bathroom.

She ran a deep, steaming hot bath with her favorite salts. Christen stripped and sunk into the warm water, her glass resting beside her. She did her best to do as Alyssa told her to do and relax. She sipped on her wine while reading the latest romance novel Julie had given her. The blonde had started reading them on road trips. They intrigued the forward and now the two trade novels back and forth before each trip. The tension bled from her body as she soaked. They could train the puppy.

Alyssa took Kora out to the small patch of grass to do her business, making sure to stay on the road side of Kora. She didn’t know where the behavior had come from. Kora hadn’t given them any problems up until this point. Even now the puppy was rolling around in the grass without a care in the world, content not to venture further. She shook her head at Kora’s antics and smiled. She wasn’t a bad puppy. Maybe she had separation anxiety. Alyssa made a note to ask Christen about it when she got back upstairs. Maybe there was something they could do to lessen the chance of Kora tearing something up. 

She felt the rain start up again and called Kora. Black ears perked up and she reluctantly got up from the grass. Alyssa guided her back inside and past their concierge, Stan. He winked at Alyssa and she just laughed. Stan was one of the good ones, always sending fans the wrong way if they stumble upon their address. Not that they don’t love their fans, but knowing their home address takes things a bit too far.

Upon their return upstairs, Kora is unleashed. She follows Alyssa into the master bathroom, where Christen has just gotten out of the tub and started to dry off. Kora bounded in-between Alyssa’s feet to Christen and began to lick the water from her wet toes. Christen couldn’t contain her giggle as the puppy’s tongue found its way between her toes. Alyssa grinned at the sound – the bath had worked.

“Ok ok Kora back girl that’s enough.” Christen nudged the puppy back gently and finished drying off. Alyssa leaned against the door frame and appreciated the work of beauty in front of her. “Did she behave outside?”

“She was very good. We made it to the patch of grass with her on the side away from the street the whole way. Then she pooped. The last 20 minutes or so she was rolling in the grass and investigating the smells it held.”

“That sounds like our baby.” Christen threw the towel over the shower bar and grabbed her night clothes. Alyssa openly stared at the work of art that was the body of Christen Press.  
“I am a lucky woman.”

‘Yes you are. But so am I.” Christen dropped the old Boston Breakers shirt over her head and walked over to kiss Alyssa. The pair shared a tender moment that was only broken when Christen pulled away.

“Lys…do you hear that?”

“Hear what? I don’t hear anything.”

‘Exactly! Kora!” Christen dashed around the goalkeeper and went looking for the puppy. Alyssa shook her head to clear it and followed her. They found the puppy curled around Alyssa’s trainers. There were teeth marks on the toe.

“Kora. No. Bad dog.” Alyssa stepped up to discipline the dog. Her voice was still thick from her kiss with Christen but it was firm. Kora whined and looked at her. “No Kora. Bad dog. Bed.” Alyssa pointed to the dog bed next to the couch.

Kora hung her head and slunk off. Her tail was against the floor and the puppy seemed to slouch as she walked.

“Wow… she listened to you. How?” Christen looked at the goalkeeper. Alyssa merely shrugged.

“No idea. But that walk is killing me.”

“Don’t fall for it babe. She must learn. Let her up in 10 minutes and I will play with her so she knows everything is fine.” Christen reassured her girlfriend.

“As you say sweetheart. What rom-com did you want to watch in the mean time?”

“The Holiday.”

“Ah one of your favorites.” Alyssa went to retrieve the movie and pop it in. Christen went to the kitchen to refill her wineglass and pour one for Alyssa. The goalkeeper kept one eye on the pup to make sure stayed in her bed. Kora did, and sulked the whole time. Alyssa did her best not to acknowledge the pup, knowing she had to learn what a punishment was and want to avoid it so that she wouldn’t do it again.

“She’s still there.” Christen remarked upon her return.

“Yeah she is. And she has another 5 minutes. Is one of those for me?” Alyssa eyed the wine glasses in Christen’s hands.

“Yes, dear this one is for you.” Christen handed her the one absent the imprint of lipstick. 

“Thank you.” Alyssa kissed her cheek and took it. She took a sip and wrapped an arm around Christen, who snuggled into her side on the couch. Alyssa started the movie and propped her feet on the coffee table. Once the opening credits had rolled, she looked at Christen.

“That’s her time out. What was the phrase we use to let her go again?”

“We agreed on all clear. So, since you put her in time out, you let her out.” Christen sat up a little so Alyssa could lean over that arm of the couch.

“Kora.” Those ears perked up and she locked eyes with the goalkeeper. “All clear.” The tail wag returned and she slowly got up from the bed. Alyssa didn’t stop her. She settled back into the couch and pulled Christen close to her again. Kora went and attacked her squeaky hedgehog with gusto. Both women chuckled and drank their wine. Their puppy was going to be a handful. But they could handle it.

 

“Kora, stop it.” Christen couldn’t keep the frustration from her voice as she picked up the spray bottle. It took 4 squirts to the face to get the black and white border collie puppy to stop attacking her flip-flops. Their sweet little girl had turned into an untrainable terror. Puppy training was not going well. That was an understatement. Well, her training the puppy wasn’t going well. Kora listened to Alyssa. It had gotten to the point that all Alyssa had to do was say Kora’s name and point to the bed. The dog would slump into it without complaint and stay in there she was released, after no longer than 10 minutes.

Kora dropped the flip flop and huffed. She had taken a chunk out of the heel.

“Kora! Bed. Now.” Christen pointed, doing her best to keep her anger in check. The puppy had taken to testing her, making her repeat commands and watch her to make sure she stayed in bed until timeout was over. The border collie just met her eyes as if in a dare. “Kora. Bed.” Christen’s voice had a warning behind it. Kora ever so slowly slunk over to it. She didn’t break eye contact as she laid down. The forward wasn’t going to back down either. She sat on her yoga mat and glanced down with one eye to check the time on her watch. It was going to be a long 10 minutes.  
Kora tried to get up after only a few minutes, easing a paw out of bed so hopefully Christen wouldn’t notice.

“Kora. Bed.” Christen felt like some days, those were the only words she said to the dog. The dog whined pitifully and didn’t move her paw. “Kora. Bed. Now!” Christen couldn’t keep the exasperation from her voice. Why did the dog continue to test her? What was so magical about Alyssa that made Kora listen to her? She wasn’t sneaking the puppy treats. Christen had counted them when Alyssa ran to the store multiple times to make sure. But there had to be something that made Kora respond better to her girlfriend rather than her, the supposed dog whisperer. She didn’t feel much like the dog whisperer, more like the dog shouter at this point.

The puppy responded to her voice and slunk back into the bed. She was testing Christen. That was for certain. They stared at each other for the remaining 5 minutes. Christen didn’t want to, but she knew better than to take her frustrations out on the dog. That would only push Kora away and cause further behavioral issues.

“All clear.” She sighed and the dog bounced out of the bed. Kora dove and attacked the poor hedgehog with gusto. She had gutted the first, so Christen stopped after practice one day and got her a second one. The forward hoped that it would be a building bridge between them. Kora didn’t see it that way.

Keys turned in the door and Kora’s ears perked up. She scooped up Hedgie and ran to the door. Her tail was wagging and her whole body was shaking. She knew who was behind the door. Alyssa opened the door and grinned. She was sweaty from her workout with Michele but happy. She got to come home to her two favorite girls.

“Hey Kora!” She tossed her keys into the bowl and crouched down after closing the door. Kora ran to her, squeaking Hedgie as fast as she could. Alyssa loved on her girl, the grin never leaving her face. Kora absolutely lit up her days now. She was so glad she let Christen convince her to adopt Kora. Alyssa looked up and smiled at her girlfriend who was still on her yoga mat. “Hey beautiful. How was the bonding with Kora?”

“Well…” Christen sighed. “She took a chunk out of my yoga mat and flip flops. The water bottle didn’t seem to disturb her at all. I guess we have to keep trying different things.” 

“I’m sorry sweetheart.” Alyssa left Kora and went to Christen. She pulled the forward up to her feet and wrapped her in her arms. “We will figure it out.” Christen nodded into her chest and relaxed in her favorite arms. Kora whined at their feet, Hedgie still in her mouth. She whined every time they got affectionate around her. Kora wanted to be the center of attention.

“Ignore her. I missed you.” Christen buried herself further in the goalkeeper’s embrace. Alyssa did as she was asked and held onto the other woman. They stood unmoving in the center of the living room. 

Kora got more and more agitated the longer she was ignored. She whined at the pair and even placed Hedgie on Alyssa’s feet to get her attention. She tried to force her way in-between them, but Christen stood firm. So, Kora went to the other side of the yoga mat and went to take another chunk out of it. Christen heard the jingle of her collar and turned around to see what she was doing. Before Alyssa could speak, Christen did.

“Kora! Bed. Now.” The border collie didn’t move, yoga mat still hanging from her mouth. Christen held firm and pointed at Kora’s bed next to the couch. Rather than repeat herself, she went over and took the dog by the collar. Gently but firmly, she walked the dog to the bed and had her lay in it. She took two steps back as to not crowd the dog but to make sure she did indeed stay. Kora whined and tried to get up but Christen was not having it. She made the dog return time after time to the bed, all the while not breaking eye contact. Enough was enough. She was not going to allow Kora to disrupt her moments with her girlfriend.

Alyssa cleared her throat when the 10 minutes was up. Christen got the message.

“Kora. All clear.” Christen leaned down and gave Kora two quick head rubs. The dog’s tail thumped against the bed and she perked back up. When Christen didn’t chastise her for getting out of the bed, she ran over and scooped up Hedgie. The forward smiled and went back to Alyssa. The goalkeeper wrapped her arms around her and rested her head on her shoulder. 

“Wow. That was kinda hot.”

“Oh, shush you.” Christen playfully slapped her arm as they watched Kora play. 

“Yes dear.” Alyssa chuckled and kissed her ear. “Are you two going to be ok alone for a short while so I can get clean?”

“I think we will be fine.”

“Ok honey.” Alyssa kissed her cheek and departed to the shower. 

Kora followed her for a moment but returned to living room once Alyssa shut her out of the bathroom. She whined at Christen, jumping onto her lap. Christen laughed and hugged the pup tight, tossing her Hedgie across the room. Kora clambered down off her lap and chased after it, sliding across the hardwood floors. A laugh escaped the forward and a grin spread across her face when Kora returned Hedgie to her feet, her whole body shaking. 

The two were still playing fetch when Alyssa rejoined them from her shower. She raised her eyebrows as she watched Kora scramble across the floor, sliding to grab Hedgie while sending her back paws into the kitchen.

“Something has certainly gotten into her. How long have you two been at this?”

“Pretty much since you left.” Christen cooed as Kora ran back to her, dropping Hedgie at her feet again. Her sides were heaving and her tongue was hanging out. Christen was working her hard. She grabbed Hedgie and tossed it again. Alyssa took the break to plop onto the couch next to Christen, throwing her feet up on the coffee table. 

“Incoming!” Christen called out. The goalkeeper barely had time to brace herself before the puppy bounded up onto her lap at a run. When she landed, Alyssa let out a loud grunt and cringed. Her sore quads were not happy with puppy paws landing on them. If she could, she would place a bet there would be bruises tomorrow. Maybe she could convince Christen to kiss them better. Though from Christen’s laughter, maybe not. 

Kora collapsed in a heap on the two women. Her head was on Christen’s lap, tongue lolling out as she panted. Christen lavished her with love while Alyssa dealt with the fact she got the stinky end for once. They stayed as comfortable as they could with a puppy on them and turned on an old Game of Thrones Episode. Kora was snoring halfway in.

“Do you think we will still have problems with her?” Alyssa whispered, not wanting to wake the snoozing hound.

“Maybe. But she didn’t claw at the door while you showered or tear into my yoga mat when you hugged me again. Maybe this time was the last straw and she realizes I am an alpha in this house.”

“We can hope. Or we adopted a demon dog. Ow!”

“Kora isn’t a demon…she just might be stubborn. Like a certain goalkeeper I know.”

“I am not stubborn. I am persistent.” Alyssa grumbled.

“Sure you are dear. They are two sides of the same coin. And if Kora is as persistent as you are, we will call for help. I am not losing another pair of shoes to this dog or going to yoga with a half-eaten yoga mat. Steph is already unbearable during yoga and she won’t let me live it down.”

“That is a very good point. We need to get you another before Sam and Steph see it.”

“Yeah. I was planning to go out after breakfast. Should we try leaving Kora alone again?”

“It is worth a shot. Let’s just make sure all of your shoes are put up before we leave.”

“Oh, don’t you start.” Christen shot a glare at the snickering goalkeeper. “I will give her one of your goalkeeper gloves before we leave if you keep it up.”

“What? You wouldn’t dare.” Alyssa gasped and stared at the forward. Kora raised her head and looked at the pair with sleepy eyes.

“Don’t tempt me Naeher.” Christen pointed a finger at Alyssa, looking at her over her glasses. Kora whined and put her head down. She knows what that means.

“Yes dear.” Alyssa chuckled and tried to sooth the tired pup. “At least Kora has learned what it means when that finger comes out.”

“See, I told you. Stubborn. Just like you. Aren’t you baby girl?” Christen’s puppy voice came out as she focused on the puppy. Kora’s tail thumped against Alyssa’s thigh. Christen lavished her with love to keep her calm and reassure her she wasn’t the one in trouble this time. Kora settled back down and the pair returned to catching up on who was dead, dying, or in trouble.

Alyssa laid her head on Christen’s shoulder and hid a yawn. The session with Michele wore her out. “Take a nap sweetheart. We will be here when you wake up.”

“Mmmk. Love you.” Alyssa didn’t argue. Her eyes were already sliding shut.

“We love you.” Christen kissed her forehead and settled further into the couch. She had one hand resting on Alyssa’s shoulders and the other on Kora’s head. This was how things were supposed to be. While the two snored, Christen couldn’t hide the smirk on her face. Maybe Kora finally figured out who was top dog in the house after all. Things were looking up from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here is part two. This was really fun to write. Thought I should post something due to our winning over Japan last night. I hope y'all loved it. As always, let me know what you love, hate, etc. in the comments. They spice up my day.  
> -Red

**Author's Note:**

> Yup I know another random pairing. I had this thought of Chris adopting a puppy and just let it flow. I could see her and Alyssa together. They have similar personalities that would just click IMO. LI can't believe how long this one turned out to be. Love it? Hate it? I mean how could you hate puppies? Seriously though, let me know what you think below. Your kudos and comments make my day.  
> -Red
> 
> P.S. How about those Red Stars turning that USWNT v Brazil game around? Loved the grit, doesn't erase the 75+ minutes of failure by the team as a whole. Would love to see Ellis play players in their preferred positions from the get go and maybe change only 1 variable at a time. But what do I know about experiments, I am not a scientist or anything. I don't set them up ALL DAY LONG. Anyway, go Red Stars!


End file.
